You have Won...

Off late a lot of mobile subscribers have been receiving SMSs saying they have won some lottery or prize and to claim the prize they need to call a particular number. The number is generally international and the prize money is large enough to coax the subscribers in to giving it a “try”.

The subscriber dials the number and is generally led to an IVR which guides the subscriber through different menus which try and keep him/her engaged for as long as possible. Unsurprisingly generally there is no prize received. However a surprise awaits the subscriber at the end of the month when the service provider bill is received. The international number dialed would generally belong to a group of countries which the Service Providers categorize as ROW II or remote destinations. The per minute tariff to these countries is around Rs 40/min. So all the while the subscriber is on the IVR menu he/she is being billed at Rs 40/min. Service Providers keep a tab on these numbers and try and block them, however new numbers keep cropping up every month. These numbers are advertized by individuals who have revenue share arrangements with some shady operator running this service abroad.

So next time you get that message try and resist the temptation to “try” and inform your Service Provider immediately.